Getting started!!!

[PaulAdamFeB]

Hi All,

Im getting to grips with my first proper install of vmware view (4.6) and Im in need of some guidance as I have a few questions, that I just cant seem to find a straight answer to (Ok maybe Im not looking hard enough!)

Anyway, Im going to jump right in with them!

First question....I need to deploy 10 different desktop pools (I think) - i.e. some will be persistent, some will have different apps based on user group memberships etc.... anyway, we have identified 10 different base installs we would want to make available to users etc...

At this stage I currently have one Master "Gold" image I have created, which is simply Windows 7 installed with all lastest hotfixes and no apps...Should I end up with 10 master "gold" images (i.e. each one having the relevant apps installed etc?) or do I need to use one master image and then do something else to install the different apps to different base desktop images/snapshots of the original image?

What are the risks of the different options above, i.e. If they are all based off a single image what happens if I need to change something on one image?

Using ThinApp is potentially out of the question at this stage....although it may get considered!

I keep seeing info telling me that I need to ensure that my base image is on fast storage....is this the golden image or the replica image that appears when I provision a pool?

Im pretty certain I will have further questions....

Look forward to hearing from everyone!

Cheers

Paul

[andycanedd]

Paul,

You can use one master image and utilise software such as Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager to deploy applications based on user profiles or use Active Directory group policy to deploy apps. Be aware though that any recompose/refersh operations will require these applications to be reinstalled if you are using linked clones.

I would try to include common applications in the master image if you are not able to utilise application virtualisation and then software management tools to deploy other apps to users.

Your master image does not have to be on fast storage but it is preferrable to have the replica on SSD if you are able to due to the higher read I/O SSD can produce.

Are you looking to deploy the replica on the same LUN as linked clones or a different LUN? If the replica is on a separate LUN there is the danger that if anything happens to this LUN, all linked clones based off this replica will not function.

Andrew

[PaulAdamFeB]

Hi andycanedd,

Thanks for getting back to me....Much appreciated!

In terms of the fast storage option, I am using an EqualLogic PS6010XVS (Hybrid SSD/SAS array) - which detects LUNs (or Volumes in EQL speak) with "hot" I/O and will move these on the fly to the SSD storage - The answer regarding the replica is exactly what I was after....i.e. its the replica that will have the high I/O and not the base "Master" image - In regards to the risk of having the replica on a different LUN....well I think thats a risk we will have to take...its only a single SAN...and if something goes wrong with the LUN then we have bigger problems I think

As there will definately be a mix of "persistant" and "non-persistant floating" desktops - Its the non-persistant floating desktops I am most concerned with.

I have only two different desktop types which will be persistant (for Admin and Finance Users) both of which will have differing apps installed - all other desktops will be deployed and destroyed on the fly...."kiosk mode" if you will (although users will have romaing profiles).

It looks like you are saying that having 10 different master images is not the way to go and utilising a single image coupled with application deployment utils is the way I should be taking this!

If you or anyone else reading has any other thoughts on this, I would love to hear them.

Regards

Paul Adam

[mplanck]

If your only difference between the pools is application installations and they're not complicated ones then it probably is best to use some kind of application deployment utility.

Here's an example:

In my organization we had 3 pools and 3 master images. One for Finance with Great Plains and some ODBC settings, one for a group which needed Powerpoint 2003 in addition to normal software, and our normal image.

I recently started using ThinApp and got Powerpoint 2003 thinapped and by doing that I was able to use group policy to add it for only the department which needed it to the normal image and get rid if the image which was just for them.

Think of it this way - would you rather patch and update one image or 10? Keep yourself sane and do as few as possible.